I Think I Dreamed You Into Life
by AgoodWITCH
Summary: Edward spends his nights struggling to fall asleep, but when he does, he's haunted by a beautiful woman who's scared of something he can't see. One night reality and his dreams intersect and the results will change both of their lives forever, because the only chance they have at being whole, is being together.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: Edward spends his nights struggling to fall asleep, but when he does, he's haunted by a beautiful woman who's scared of something he can't see. One night reality and his dreams intersect and the results will change both of their lives forever, because the only chance they have at being whole, is being together.

**AN: **This story haunted me, much like Edward's dreams of Bella haunted him, and when I decided to write for this compilation, this story begged to see the light of day. Gisela reminded us that we are a family in this fandom, we call each other sister, bestie, wifey, and in some ways we understand each other better than people we see every day. I had the help of two such angels on this piece. My beta/wifey/partner in crime, Mizzdee, of all the gifts this fandom has given me, you are the most precious. Secondly, DICATAKADD, someone who has been with me for a long time as a reader and reviewer and always has the most wonderful words of encouragement and love. I offered her the opportunity to pre-read this and I'm already thrilled that she has joined Team AGW. This is the first chapter of a short fic, so I hope you enjoy this first installment.

The second chapter of this will be donated to Fandom Fights Hurricane Sandy, so please check out the link on my profile for more details.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Story is rated M for descriptions of violence, language, and lemons.

**Chapter 1**

**EPOV**

_Don't look at the clock. If you don't look at the clock, then you won't be pissed about how late it is._

Knowing that the ship had sailed on me being pissed about the fact that I wouldn't get a lot of sleep tonight, I rolled over and looked at the offending object.

3:11 a.m.

_So screwed._

Getting up, I dug out my earmuffs and eye mask, hoping that if I couldn't hear or see anything, I would finally fall asleep.

_It took a long time, but eventually I was back in what were now familiar woods. This seemed to be my happy place, and I found that if I sat down and waited until I saw her, I would get more sleep. The woods here were eerie, and I couldn't figure out if I'd seen them before, or it was just the dream that gave that quality, but eventually I saw her._

_She ran in front of me, looking around nervously before she ducked into the woods and wandered further from the path. I tried to catch up with her, but she kept moving. Her pace didn't seem particularly fast, but she was always too far for me to catch up to. When I was about to give up she stopped, turning to look at me just as the buzzer on my alarm sounded._

8:47 a.m.

Surprised that I slept that long it seemed to be a good sign. Maybe this bout of insomnia was coming to an end and I could actually manage to get my keys back from Alice.

A banging on my apartment door let me know just how late it was. "Edward," Alice called, "I'm leaving in fifteen minutes."

Rushing to throw on jeans and a shirt, I slipped my feet into my shoes and grabbed my bag, knowing we'd be hitting a drive-thru Starbucks on the way to school.

"How'd you do last night?" Alice asked as I locked up.

"Didn't fall asleep until after three, but once I did I slept until right before you knocked," I told her truthfully.

"Edward, that's five hours! I'm so happy for you." Alice hugged me from where she was standing to my left, giving me a firm squeeze.

"Thanks, Alice. You're the only one who supports my choice to go drug free."

"My dad loves you, Edward; he just doesn't understand that you don't want that kind of help. And you're doing so well. We just need to get you through this episode and then we'll be ahead of the game."

"I hope you're right," I said, doubting it.

"Edward, I've been with you fighting this since you were eight, and you are getting better -"

"Until I get worse again," I muttered.

"Don't do that, Edward," Alice warned. "You're my cousin, and I love you, but you have to have a little faith."

"Faith is hard to find when I keep slipping back into old patterns," I reminded her and she grimaced.

"I know he isn't your favorite person to discuss this with, but maybe you should talk to my dad. If you tell him you want to try treatment that focuses more on therapy and less on medications, he may help you find a doctor. The only thing we want is for you to be well again, Edward."

I shook my head at her offer, because Carlisle would try and get me back onto antidepressants like I'd been on when I was younger, and that was the last thing I needed . But as much as I didn't want to be medicated, the idea of talking everything out with a stranger made me even more anxious. If only I could forget.

The drive to school passed quickly and as I walked into the education building, I smiled at how close I was to being done with school. I'd struggled through the last seven years, having a medical withdrawal during the first semester of my sophomore year when I was hospitalized, which caused me to take an extra year. But now I only have two classes left, one being my composition thesis, which requires me to meet with my advisor to discuss my progress, and my education class, which coincides with the last of my student teaching.

This semester I was at the Bush School, and I was already told that if I complete my degree this semester, that the academy would offer me the position being vacated when one of their music teachers retired in the spring. That meant that I'd have the summer off to prepare and then I would be back to teach at a place that was a lot less chaotic than any public school I might teach at.

Our teacher droned on about the issues that might be faced upon entering the work force, making us come up with our own ways of solving the problems. I answered my weekly assigned issue using the model that my current employers enforced, and Mr. Banner tried to call me out on it.

"The reason we come up with these assignments, Mr. Masen, is to see how well you problem solve for yourself, not how well you can copy from your employee handbook."

"But in this case, Mr. Banner, if I'm working in an environment that has set procedures, shouldn't I follow their rules, especially since I will be continuing on there in the fall. Their handbook will be the one I will need to use as my guide."

I watched his face fall slightly. "You've been offered a position at the Bush School?"

"It's contingent on my graduation this semester, but yes. The Dean called me into his office on Monday to give me the news," I explained.

"Well then, you better get to know their discipline code very well as we finish up these next few assignments." Mr. Banner turned to the next student, appeased with my work now that he knew I wasn't cutting corners.

When my class was done, I walked over the student union and pulled out my notebook. It was already March, so I was two months from graduation. Two months to wrap up these last projects and begin my professional life.

The fact that my three days of student teaching were the happiest days of my week gave me hope that I would be able to put some of the extra stress behind me. I'd yet to have a single panic attack at the Bush School, which was something I couldn't say about many other places.

"Hey man." Emmett walked up, interrupting my thoughts with his jovial energy.

"Emmett, what's up?" I asked, gesturing towards the seat across from me.

"Same old, trying to move on with my life now that your cousin kicked me out, but Jasper's been cool about letting me crash on his couch until Ben moves out. Then I'll take the second bedroom."

I felt like I'd missed a whole series of events, but that was what my current state had left me with. I was too tired to go out, but I still couldn't sleep. "Ben's moving out?"

Emmett looked at me strangely and then his face morphed into one of understanding. "Yeah, Angela found a townhouse to rent for the two of them. The community has rentals and sale properties, so they're moving in hoping that they'll build favor with the management company in case they decide to buy one of the units eventually. Either way, it leaves a room vacant for me now that the ice queen and I are done."

"Rosalie was always a diva, but I'm sorry that her attitude screwed you up any," I admitted honestly. How Alice and Rosalie could be sisters was beyond me. They were as different in appearance as they were in personality.

"Whatever, I'm living with my best friend so it isn't all bad. You should come and hang out. We don't have to go to a club or anything; we can order some pizza, buy some beer and watch the game. What do you say?"

That was another reason I loved Emmett. He, Jasper, and Ben accepted my illness and rolled with it. They didn't make me feel bad that I couldn't go out to the bar or a game with them; the four of us would do something low-key, something that could be controlled.

"Sounds like a plan," I told him. "You guys pick a day and we'll do it."

"Why not tomorrow? Canucks have a home game, so it won't be too early. You don't have any plans for Saturday, right?" Emmett asked, his mind was probably already thinking about what kind of beer he would buy.

"Nope, I'll see you guys tomorrow. But right now, I better get going. I'm having dinner with Alice and Esme and I have to be ready or Alice will turn into a smurf."

"She does turn a little blue when she gets a rant going, doesn't she?" Emmett teased and we both laughed.

Packing my things, I took off on the twenty minute walk home, happy about the weekend ahead of me. I got inside just as the rain started, and picked out my clothes before jumping in the shower.

I knew that with Esme and Alice taking me out, we were going to a nice restaurant, so I slipped on my sports coat and waited for Alice to come and pick me up.

She knocked on my door right at five o'clock, and I followed her out as she joked about something that happened in one of her classes. I loved Alice dearly, but I just couldn't keep up with her excitement. I thought she realized it, because she turned to ask if I was okay.

"Fine, Alice. Just tired, but we know that isn't an easy fix, so don't worry." I knew that wasn't going to make her happy, so I decided to share my plans. "I'm going over to the guys' place tomorrow to watch the hockey game."

"Yeah? That'll be fun!" she said a little too brightly. "How's Emmett doing?"

"Better now that he's free of Rosalie," I remarked. Rosalie and my issues were well established, so Alice just stayed out of it for the most part.

"I'm glad, he'll find someone who isn't as uptight, and she'll go back to her normal type. I'm actually surprised she stayed with him that long," Alice remarked and then asked how class was. Taking about our classes allowed the conversation to relax some as the rest of the ride passed in easy conversation.

We arrived at the restaurant to find Esme already seated at the table. She stood up as we approached and gave us both a hug.

"Edward, have you lost weight?" Esme started right in, and I nodded, letting her pick at me for a moment.

"You know how I get when I'm stressed, and I'm pushed up against graduation with my composition and my final education class."

"How about the student teaching, is that going well?" she asked as the waiter came to take our drink order.

"It's great, in fact, I was offered a full-time position in the fall as long as I graduate in May, so that's why I'm feeling the pressure a little." I tried to smile, but my aunt saw right through me.

"Alice, why didn't you tell me that his insomnia is back?" Esme asked the question to my cousin, completely bypassing me.

"First, Edward's right here, Mom, and if he wanted you to know, he would have told you. But secondly, he's handling it. In fact, last night he got five hours sleep once he fell asleep, so he may be turning the corner by managing his anxiety and blocking out any stimulation that would keep him from falling asleep." Alice took my hand and squeezed it, causing Esme to hold her hands up in surrender.

"If that's the case, I'm happy that you're managing to handle it, but don't push Carlisle and I away because of how you feel about last time."

"Uncle Carlisle knows how I feel about being medicated like that and he did it to me against my wishes. I know you both mean well, but that's the one thing I can't stand." I could feel the bubble of dread growing in my chest as I sat back against the chair, and my family saw it too.

"Edward, it's just the three of us, this dinner may have started a little rough, but we'll leave all of that behind and try to enjoy the night. I've missed you." Esme looked so sad as she said the last part and I knew I missed her too.

"I'm okay with that," I agreed and we continued on with dinner.

After we said goodbye to Esme, Alice and I headed back to our building and as we said goodnight, she stopped the elevator to offer me one last kindness. "I'm right above you, so if you need me, just bang on the ceiling."

"Okay, Alice," I agreed, even though both of us knew it wouldn't happen.

I walked into my apartment and powered up my computer. I had my last five education assignments sitting there, and I needed to get them done so that I could focus on my music. I had enough free time at school to do my student teaching journals, so if I could knock out this work, another weight would be lifted off me.

For the next six hours I looked over the various procedures offered depending on the schools disciplinary codes and wrote up next week's assignment. I strayed from the Bush School's structure to show I was being flexible, and by the time I had it finished, I felt comfortable to discuss it in class.

As I closed my computer and contemplated what to do next, the muddled feeling I was now so familiar with took over my consciousness, letting me know that even with the sleep I'd been getting recently, my body was shutting down. I walked into my bedroom and grabbed my earplugs and eye mask, getting myself set up before I slipped on my noise cancelling headphones and tried to go with the need to sleep.

_I was once again in the woods, they were the same, but there was also a startling difference to them. Where there was normally some light visible, creeping past the foliage to shed a little glow on the space, tonight they were considerably darker. I knew something was inherently wrong. The sense of dread was intense and I could hear the young woman somewhere in the distance. There were voices telling her to stop, calling her Bella and demanding she listen to them. But as she came into view, her pace increased._

_The woods continued to grow darker as she ran towards me, but far off to the left. Her skirts were tangling around her legs, tripping her until she lifted them so she could run faster. I took off in the direction she was heading, but as I neared the area where she would cross my path, I fell. I rolled down a small hill and knocked Bella over as we collided, coming to a stop with me on top of her. Our eyes met and a blood curdling scream erupted from her._

I sat up in bed, shaking and panting as the adrenaline sent my system into overdrive. I tore the mask and headphones off, pulling the ear plugs from my ears so that I was fully aware. The image of Bella terrified was burned into my mind so I couldn't go back to sleep even if I was able to.

My body was vibrating so bad that I had to get up and move, I had to try and control the energy I suddenly had. Pacing my bedroom floor helped a little physically, but mentally my mind was racing with thoughts of Bella. I couldn't tell you what period her clothing was, or if it was just a costume, but it was far from modern looking. The questions kept coming with no known answers. Who was she? Where had she come from? Why was she being chased? Who were those men that had her so afraid? And why was this the only dream I seemed to have these days? Was I going crazy?

That thought was the one that had me perpetually circling the room, trying to make sense of the senseless. I hadn't always been like this, but as I got older it seemed that things snowballed and my hours were once again being eaten up by this illness. I was so close to having my master's degree and even that didn't seem to matter. I was still the little boy that had been broken all of those years ago. Every new life event added to the cracks and soon it would be too much and I would shatter.

That thought had me running to my front door to Alice. I knew that she was the only one who could even attempt to center me now, but as I bent down to get my keys, I knocked over the stack of mail from this afternoon. Picking it up, I froze when I saw the now familiar woods from my dream on the cover of a pamphlet for an event at the Washington Park Arboretum.

Was that why they looked familiar? I'd been there plenty of times, so maybe I was imagining woods that I knew well, so it would be more realistic. But even as I tried to rationalize it, I knew that at some point tonight, I'd be walking along the paths, so I might as well get going.

Throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, I grabbed my keys and my wallet and headed down to the street. A cab was easy to hail, and I gave the driver an address a few blocks away so he wouldn't think I was crazy for asking to be left at the entrance of a park that had closed hours ago.

It was after midnight when I entered the park and the sense of dread was back again. I followed the east trail and soon I reached the area that I'd spent the last few weeks visiting in my dreams. As I paced the area, I realized that it wasn't real, but at the same time, I'd come here like she would come running over that hill and find me.

Unzipping my hoodie some, I sat down under one of the trees and just tried to breathe. This was a really bad idea. A really stupid, dangerous idea. I tried to reign in my feelings and emotions when I was tackled the rest of the way to the ground.

A new wave of panic washed over me as I felt them cage my body with their arms, until they pulled back and began rambling.

"Sir, please let me apologize for knocking you over like that. I wasn't watching where I was walking and it is entirely my fault. Are you all right?"

The voice was so familiar and the manner of her speech caught me off guard as I looked up to see Bella, the woman from my dream, standing over me.

"Sir, I can't stay here, because they'll find me, but I need to know that you aren't hurt," she urged and I stood up, my sweatshirt falling off my left shoulder.

"I'm fine, really it's cool," I told her, but her eyes were focused on my chest.

"The lion will save you," she murmured.

I looked down to see that she was staring at the lion tattoo I had over my heart. It was simple, a basic tribal profile of a lion as a way to honor the Cullen's after they took me in, but it seemed to mean something to her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?"

"Sir, I -" she started, but I interrupted her.

"My name is Edward," I supplied.

"Edward, there are some very bad men looking for me, and I need to get away from here. I know this will sound crazy, but my great aunt once told me that a lion would save me. I know it is completely inappropriate, but could you help me exit these woods safely and get me out of the open?"

"Sure, come with me …" I trailed off, hoping she'd give me her name so I wouldn't freak her out by possibly knowing it.

"Bella," she told me, cementing the fact that I'd completely lost my mind.

"Let's go, I'll keep you safe."

She took my arm and I returned the way I'd come, knowing there was a bus stop nearby. We might be waiting there a while, but it was our best option.

We left the park and immediately Bella stiffened, the sounds of the cars and the lights causing her to shrink into my side. "What is this?"

"It's Seattle at night? Is this not how you remember it?" I don't know why I asked the second question, but it spilled from my lips before I could stop it.

"Not at all," Bella said firmly.

"Listen to me, Bella. I'm going to bring you to my apartment, that way you can sleep, and in the morning we'll figure out what happened and how you got here. But tonight I need you to follow my lead and say as little as possible. Trust me." I watched her nod as she whispered about the lion again.

Zipping up my sweatshirt, I pulled out my ORCA card and walked to the bus stop. Bella kept looking over her shoulder for men that weren't there, if they'd been from her time, but as the bus stopped in front of us she gasped. After struggling to get her to move, I wordlessly guided her onto the bus and used my card to pay for our ride. We sat down near the front of the bus and a few minutes later we got off, walking the block to where we'd catch our second bus. The entire time Bella didn't say a word, but her eyes took in everything.

We got off the second bus and I once again pulled her along into my building and over to the elevator.

"I can't get into that," Bella protested. I really didn't feel like walking the five flights of stairs, but she didn't make a scene on the bus, which was a miracle, so I conceded.

"Fine, let's take the stairs."

We climbed to my apartment and I opened the door, allowing her to look around. The lights seemed to bother her, so I dimmed them, which only upset her more.

"The bathroom is in here, if you want to get cleaned up, and if you need a change of clothes, I can loan you something," I offered and she nodded, looking down at her muddy skirts.

"Thank you, Edward," she whispered as she walked into the bathroom and turned to stare at the sink. I followed her in long enough to turn the knobs and smile.

"It's kind of like a pump sink, but these keep it flowing. Just turn them to shut it off when you're done."

I closed the door behind me and went to change back into my pajamas. Bella walked out of the bathroom, staring at my entertainment center like it would attack her. But seeing as she clearly had no idea what it was, it was smart of her to worry.

"Bella," I spoke and she jumped, blushing at her reaction. "You must be tired, let me show you where you'll be sleeping tonight."

I opened my bedroom door and Bella looked around again. "Where do you sleep?"

"In here," I answered and the fear was back in her eyes. Knowing my mistake, I quickly explained. "I mean that's my room, but I don't sleep much and I've gotten my rest for the night, so I'll be out here. I promised to keep you safe, Bella, and I meant it."

"We will be able to talk tomorrow and try to figure out what has happened?" she asked and I nodded. "Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight," I said as she closed the door.

With Bella safely in my room, I began to pace again, so very confused. She was real. I paid a bus fare for her and felt her hand on my arm. But she couldn't be what I think she is.

I tried coming to terms with what happened tonight, but as I failed, I did the one thing that I didn't want to do, but knew I needed to. I called Alice.

"Yes, Edward." She yawned, but I already heard the movement above.

"Alice, I think I'm really losing it this time. Please come down."

"I'll be there in a minute, Edward, try to start your breathing." The line disconnected and I started to do my breathing exercises.

The door opened as Alice came in, sitting in front of me. "Edward, what's wrong?"

"I had the dream again," I told her.

"That's good, the dream seems to help you. So what happened to make you panic tonight?" Alice tried to get me to focus on her, but I kept looking back to my bedroom.

"Tonight the dream was darker and Bella, the girl in it, was scared. I dreamt that we ran into each other and she was terrified. The scream in my dream actually woke me up." I looked to see Alice listening intently to my story. "I was pacing when I realized that I knew the woods, they're the Washington Park Arboretum. So I went there to prove to myself that it was just a dream."

"Edward," Alice admonished as she sat beside me on the couch. "You can't do things like that. You could have been killed, don't you realize that?"

"I needed to prove that it was a dream," I told her again, causing her to sigh in frustration.

"And you proved that it was a dream?" she asked.

"Promise you won't scream?" I asked, knowing it was a good possibility.

"Edward, you're scaring me," Alice whispered as I led her to my bedroom door and opened it to reveal a sleeping Bella tucked into my bed. "Who is that?"

"Bella. She's real, Alice, and she's not from our time."

"Edward, she has to be from 2012, women don't just fall out of the sky!" she whisper-yelled at me.

"I'm aware of that, but you should have seen her. She's petrified of my entertainment center, I had to drag her onto the bus to get us home, and look at her clothing." I gestured to the laundry closet.

Alice picked up the skirt from the pile on top of the washer and began to inspect it. "This is hand-sewn, and the material is rough, not anything you would buy nowadays, or willingly wear for that matter. Either she's a method actress and she's taking you for a fool, or she really is from the past."

Alice put the clothing down and started pacing herself. It was a little comforting to see that she was as baffled as I was. "This is amazing! It could be a tear in the fabric of time, like _Back to the Future_ or _Kate and Leopold_. You're Hugh Jackman, Edward! Well, wait a minute, he traveled through time so that makes Bella Hugh and you're Meg Ryan, which is gross. But -"

"Breathe, Smurfette," I teased her and she laughed, sitting back on the couch beside me.

"You look exhausted, Edward. Why don't we lay here and we'll see if you can fall back asleep, because you're going to need it in the morning."

"Fine, let me settle in on the couch and then you can lie down." I let myself lie on the couch and then Alice kicked out the reclining chair that was the left side of the couch so she could lie back while I sat my head in her lap and let her run her fingers through my hair like she did when we were younger.

I woke up to a bang and a softly spoken curse as my head popped up from Alice's lap to see Bella standing in the hallway.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I didn't mean to wake you, or interrupt -"

"Bella, it's okay, Alice is my cousin. She came over last night to help me with your situation." I stood up and met Bella by the entrance to the living room.

"My situation?" Bella asked.

"We're going to talk about everything, and there are some things you're going to need a woman's help with," I tried to tell her. When she looked even more confused, I decided to start simply. "I don't know anything about women's clothing, or personal issues, and she's the person I trust the most in this world. You can trust her, I promise."

"Edward?" Alice called me and we both looked up to see her stretching on the couch. "Oh, hello … my name is Alice Cullen. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Isabella Dwyer, but you can call me Bella. It's a pleasure to meet you." Bella smiled sweetly as she moved to sit next to Alice and took her hand.

I moved to the other side as Alice started to ask her first question. "Bella, this might seem like an odd question, but what year is it where you're from?"

Bella turned to me and then whispered, "1902. What year is it here?"

"2012," Alice answered and Bella paled. "There's a lot that's changed here, but I'm sure you saw that last night."

Bella nodded. "What was that thing we got on last night?"

"It was a bus; it's a way for a large group of people to travel together. They move on a set path and you pay to ride on it." I felt like I was missing so many steps, but she seemed to understand.

"So it is similar to a train?" she asked.

"In a way, yes," I agreed.

"What about the washstand last night? The water just kept coming." She sounded excited.

"The plumbing is much better now, it is pumped into a house through a pipe," Alice tried to help.

We sat there for over an hour, trying to give her some answers while gaining some of our own. Bella seemed to feel better once we went over things she recognized, but I knew we would be venturing into dangerous territory soon.

"Bella, how do you think you got here?" Alice finally asked.

"I was running away from some men my father knew, bad men, and I fell into a deep ditch from where they'd been digging for the expansion of the East side of the city. I landed on top of Edward. I don't know what happened between falling and hitting him, but I've never been so happy for being clumsy before. Landing in your time saved my life, and I don't care if it was possible to go back, because I would never try."

Alice looked to me and I knew where she was going. "Jasper can contact Jenks, we'll get her the basics, and she can grow it from there. We'll move slowly with her and do what he thinks is best."

"What are you discussing? Who are these people?" Bella asked.

"Jasper is my boyfriend, and Jenks is someone he's known forever. He used to work for the witness protection program, creating new identities for people who are helping the government with cases. But now he helps people the government can't or won't. His contacts will be able to get you everything you need to live. They can make it look legitimate so you never have to worry about having a problem with your new identity."

I could see that Bella was lost, so I cut in to explain. "Today we have a lot of different forms of identification and they need to be perfect or someone will find out, that's why he'll handle it for you. This was his job so he knows how to make it look."

"That sounds so costly, I wouldn't want to -" Bella began, but I stopped her.

"He's our friend, don't worry," I told her, knowing that I'd pay whatever I had to for her to be set up right.

Alice cleared her throat as she looked down the couch at us. "The stores will be open soon, do you want me to just get Bella a few things like I had planned, or take her with me and get her wardrobe set? I can show her a few more things about the 21st century and bring back some lunch."

"It's up to you, Bella. Do you feel overwhelmed by everything, or can we take another big step this morning?" I asked.

"Would you be coming with us?" Bella asked in return.

Alice jumped in there, shooting me a bitch brow as her warning not to contradict her. "Lesson number one, Bella, bringing a guy along on a shopping trip makes it so much harder to get everything you need."

"Have fun with Alice, I'll be here when you get home," I told Bella before addressing Alice. "Don't go crazy, just get her what she needs."

"Yes, Edward. Now work on your homework so I can start to hear your beautiful music again."

"You're a musician?" Bella's face lit up with her question.

"I play piano," I answered and pointed to my keyboard.

"Things sure have changed," Bella whispered as she looked around. "What will I wear to go shopping?"

"I'll find you something upstairs," Alice said as she led her out the door.

With my apartment empty for a few hours, and having got some of the best sleep I had in a while, I went into my bedroom to grab my laptop. Two of my assignments were much simpler than the monster one I did last night and I was able to finish them quickly. The third one took me nearly two hours, and when I saved it, I picked up my phone to see how they were doing.

**We're at Victoria's Secret, another hour or two tops. Does Chinese sound good for lunch?**

I groaned at the thought of her picking out underwear for Bella and told her that Chinese was fine. Concentrating on my final assignment was a lot harder than the earlier ones, but it was finally done by the time I heard my door open.

Not even waiting to put down her bags, Alice launched into her play by play of their shopping trip. "Bella did so well, Edward. After she got over the way I drive, the stores were a breeze. Did you know that there used to be a huge market on the pier that sold practically everything you needed back then? Oh, by the way, you have to take Bella to Pike's; she's been talking about how much she loves to cook."

"That's easy enough, but teaching her to use the stove and stuff will be the challenge." Turning to Bella, I asked, "How about we wait until tomorrow? I'll take you to the supermarket and the fresh market and then I'll show you how to cook in there."

"That sounds fine, Edward. Honestly, I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed. Maybe we should eat and then you can get back to work and I'll unpack my things." Bella stopped for a moment, looking at me. "Where will I be keeping my things?"

"I'll make room for you," I told her and she relaxed.

Bella and Alice grabbed plates and silverware and we sat in the living room and picked out a variety of the dishes Alice had ordered. Bella tried a little of everything, making the cutest faces as she tried everything.

"How did you like it, Bella?" I asked and she blushed.

"It's different, but delicious," she admitted and I laughed at her.

"Good," I gestured to the bedroom. "I'm going to clear out a few drawers, and then you can settle in."

Heading into my room, I removed my clothes from the right three drawers and squeezed most of it into the other three drawers, hanging up the rest. I had a ton of hangers that she could use and plenty of space left in there, so I walked out and evidently interrupted their conversation.

"Let's head in there and leave Edward to his homework," Alice said, but I smirked and told them I was done. "You're done? Oh that's great; it will give you even more time to spend with Bella."

I noticed the way Bella ducked her head a little, but didn't say anything as she grabbed her bags.

In the time they spent in my room, I pulled up my composition and started studying it. I'd had it sitting aside for a while now and I wanted to get back in the feeling for it so I could move forward.

My phone rang and I answered it, not even looking at the name. "Hello?"

"Edward, what time are you coming over tonight? We want the pizza to be on the way when you get here," Emmett asked and I cursed, having completely forgotten about my plans.

"Emmett, don't get pissed, but I can't come over tonight, something came up."

"Bullshit, Edward. You're coming over tonight. We won't let you retreat back in on yourself again, so throw on some shoes and be ready for Jasper to pick you up," Emmett demanded, but I wasn't going anywhere.

"Another night. Call Alice if you don't believe me, but I'm busy and I need to take care of what happened. Just don't force this."

I hung up before he could argue and decided to take a shower while Bella was finishing her girl time with Alice. Popping my head in, I picked out something I could lounge in after my shower and Bella admitted to wanting to poke around the kitchen and see where things were, something about looking for familiar items. I was just glad she hadn't freaked out yet.

The hot spray of the shower worked wonders on my back and shoulders and calmed me down. I heard something loud just as I turned off the water, but it wasn't until Bella's scream rang out through the apartment that I realized it was serious. Throwing my shorts on over the boxers I'd just pulled up when she screamed, I ran into the apartment to find Bella.

What I saw next shocked me.

Bella was backed up near my sink with a giant knife pointed at Emmett.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Emmett yelled.

"Stay away from me," Bella shouted with a tremor in her voice.

Alice was trying to get Emmett's attention, but I pushed past the crowd to stand between them.

"Edward, who is this bitch -" Emmett started, but I shoved him back towards the doorway.

"Don't you dare speak about her like that," I seethed. "She's terrified and you're making it worse. I told you that I had something going on and you just couldn't let it go. Now get out of here."

Turning to Bella, I shook the knife free from her grip and threw it into the sink. "Bella, its okay … you're safe."

Bella crumpled against my chest, her arms snaking around my neck as I pulled her closer, her tears hitting my chest.

"I'm going to walk the guys out and I'll see you both tomorrow, okay, Edward?" Alice said from somewhere behind me.

"Thank you, Alice," I replied, never taking my attention off the girl in my arms. As Bella finally calmed down, I walked her into the bedroom and let her sit on the bed.

Before I could say anything, she started in, "Edward, I'm so sorry. I know they're your friends but that man … he just …"

"You don't ever have to apologize for being afraid, Bella. Our bodies react that way for a reason and we have to listen to them. It's what kept you alive until you met me, and it will continue for a long time to come. This is your home, for as long as you want it to be, and this has to be where you feel comfortable." I knelt down in front of her and once again she was transfixed by my tattoo.

"Alice's family, the Cullen's, have a lion on their crest. So when they took me in after my mom died, I wanted to honor them." I thought maybe an explanation would help her understand the symbol that drew her to me.

"I'm sorry about your parents," she whispered.

"I never knew my father. My mother was a drunk and a drug addict and he was a one night stand that didn't even wait until morning. She contacted him after I was born, saying that he had a son he would never know, and he tried to find me for a while, but didn't have much to go on.

"My mom overdosed when I was eight and a social worker brought me to my aunt and uncle's house. They have two daughters, but my Aunt Esme took me in her arms and that was it.

"I was seventeen when my dad died of cancer. He knew he was dying so he poured ungodly amounts of money into finding me, until he finally did. He was a young guy, so he thought that he had time, or that they'd catch a break and I would go searching for him with information from my mom. But she'd died with that secret so I got two days with him, and then a giant trust fund that I could never dream of spending."

"Well I'm glad Alice's parents took you in so willingly," Bella spoke through the emotion she was holding in, "you deserve to have people love you and fight for you."

"My uncle fights with me more than for me these days, but for better or worse, I know he loves me," I admitted it because it was true. Carlisle may piss me off, but he did what he did because he cared.

"As much as I may be put off by it, Alice explained that watching TV could be relaxing. Would you want to watch it with me?" Bella's unnatural fear of my television was cute and I was excited to sit her down and show it to her.

"Get comfortable on the couch and I'll make some popcorn," I said, taking a moment to finish getting dressed. With the popcorn cooked, I carried it in with two drinks and turned on the set. "The television displays images, but it isn't real. It is merely a picture of something that has happened, or is happening. The images may be upsetting, but all you have to do is change the channel or turn it off and it's gone."

"Can we watch something upbeat?" Bella asked. "Something you'd let a child watch, maybe?"

Laughing again, I picked out _Finding Nemo_ and put it in. "All Disney movies have a little bit of darkness in them, but this one is also really funny. Plus, it's animated, so it's obvious that it isn't real."

Bella nodded and I was pleased when she snuggled in closer to me. I had no idea when I fell asleep, only remembering that it was around nine when we started watching the movie. One a.m. meant that I got somewhere under four hours, which was good when the sleep was solid.

I was surprised to realize that I was covered in the throw blanket that normally sat on the back of my couch and looked around for a sign of Bella, but found none. Worried, I got up and went to my room, relaxing when I saw she was nestled in my blankets.

Pulling up my papasan chair, I settled in to watch her sleep, glad that one of us was getting a good night's rest.

I dozed on and off, but most of the next few hours were spent watching every breath Bella took. I felt like such a creeper, but she'd had a hell of a day, and I didn't want her to wake up feeling alone. As if I could sense something about her, she started to struggle with the blankets and talk out against whatever was scaring her.

"No. Please … not him, Papa … I …"

Not being able to listen to her cry out like that any longer, I shook her shoulder, waking her with a start.

"It's Edward, Bella, you're okay."

Not addressing her dream, she looked from my chair to my face and her brow furrowed. "Why are you sitting there while I sleep? Am I keeping you from getting any rest?"

"I don't sleep much, and I needed to make sure you were all right after the day you had," I explained to her.

"Could you do that while lying next to me? Because I'd feel better knowing that you were comfortable and close." She eyed me for a moment before adding, "And I think it might help with the nightmares."

"Will you tell me about them?" I asked.

Bella patted the bed where she had been laying, moving back to make room for me. "Once you lay down."

I got into bed and was surprised when Bella cuddled into my side, her head finding my chest. "My father was a foreman who worked on the construction happening in the eastern part of the city. He wasn't happy that my mom had given birth to a girl, but he had several men on his crew that he thought could be a good son-in-law. I had managed to delay that possibility for as long as possible, but the night I ran, my father told them that it was up to them who got me, and all they had to do was give him an answer in the morning so he could call the preacher to officiate the ceremony. They decided that they would have a go at me before one of them claimed me."

"Your father couldn't have been okay with that?" I asked, unable to see a man who would allow that to happen.

"I was twenty-three, an old maid by my time's standard. All he wanted was one less mouth to feed. The men were in the outer room drinking when I snuck out of the window, hearing their plans. They realized it, gave chase and now I'm here." Her details were almost none-existent, but I don't think I could have heard them if she could have shared them. Neither of us had parents we could be proud of, but her father was lucky we were not in the same time.

"And the dream?" I asked.

"I was back in the woods, but it was your friends from this afternoon behind me. My father was giving them the same talk he had with his men. I know you trust them, and I'm sure I will in time, but I've never done well around men, Edward. Except you, that is."

"Well, if I know Emmett, he'll come by tomorrow night, wanting to apologize. And for as scary as he looks, he's a big softie, and fiercely loyal. Once you get over your fear of him, he'll be someone that you'll be close to. And I know you didn't see much of him, but Jasper was with him, and Alice will give him all your information if she hasn't already."

"You trust them, for me that's enough." Bella yawned and I hugged her closer.

"Get some sleep, Bella; everything will look better in the morning."

"Good night, Edward," Bella whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

I barely moved while Bella slept in my arms, but it didn't matter to me, because she was real and she needed me. And I would be everything I could for her, because she had helped me even before she landed in my life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Story is rated M for language, and lemons.**

**AN: This was originally my submission for the Fandom Fights Hurricane Sandy Compilation. As someone who fell victim to this storm, though thankfully survived without any major damage, this charity was very dear to me. I've seen the money given to the Red Cross used first hand as they gave out hot meals to those who had no way to cook for themselves, opened shelters to those who had to be evacuated, and helped set up warming centers in the cold snap that followed behind Sandy. The gas lines have ended and power has been restored, but people are still struggling, and every dollar is another bit of hope for those who are in desperate need. **

**I want to thank DICATAKADD for her speedy pre-reader skills, mizzdee for not only betaing my words, but for being my connection to the outside world during those first days. Telling her everyday that I love her wouldn't begin to be enough. And to the Alexandria for organizing the charity, and all of you who donated, I thank you.**

**This final chapter will most likely not be in a compilation, so as soon as I finish it, this story will complete.**

Chapter 2

**EPOV**

I woke up at 6:45 the next morning and was disoriented until I felt the warm weight beside me. Bella was still pressed into my side and she seemed to still be sleeping soundly. I had gotten five or so hours sleep, which was encouraging, but now I had to plan for our day. Pike Place Market could be a zoo and as it was Sunday it would probably be crowded. I knew that it was better to go around nine so that way we could start at the places that were open already and by the time we worked our way through the market, the places that opened later on Sunday would be ready for business.

I slipped out of bed and went into the kitchen, going through my fridge and cabinets to throw out all of the food that I should have a while ago. I'd cook if I needed to, or if I was feeling up to it, but for the most part I ordered out so a lot of what I was getting rid of hadn't seen the light of day for a while.

I made a list based on what I was throwing out so that I could replace the basics, then decided that I'd ask Bella what she liked to cook and allow her to control the shopping. It would make the day a little less stressful. We should probably eat before we went too, shopping on an empty stomach always resulted in me buying a cart full of junk food, soda, and beer.

I was about to carry out the garbage bags when Bella came into the kitchen in a grey sweater and jeans. "Where are you going?"

"I have to throw out the garbage. Come with me and I'll show you how this works," I told her, taking the three bags I'd filled.

We walked down the hall and I opened up the chute door and asked her to hold it open while I threw in the bags. "See, you just take the bag from the garbage can, tie it up tight, and drop it down there. There's a dumpster in the basement that catches all the garbage and is emptied by the building super."

"Super?" she asked.

"The super is the person in charge of the building. We don't own these apartments, so when something breaks or we have a problem, we call him to fix it."

"Okay, I understand that," was her response as we went inside to wash up.

"I'm going to get changed and then we can go out for breakfast before we go shopping. We'll go to the fresh market first and then the supermarket after. I want to show you both, and besides, there are some things that the farmers market won't have that Safeway will."

"And that's the _super_market?" she asked, placing extra emphasis on super.

"Yeah."

I threw on jeans and a long-sleeved shirt and then took my coat out of the closet. Bella was waiting for me in the living room, her coat already on as I met up with her. "Will we be taking your car or the bus again?"

"I don't drive," I told her.

"Oh, I just assumed that you would own a car. I'm sorry." Bella blushed again and I took her hand.

"Don't apologize, and I do own a car, but I haven't driven it in months," I explained.

"Why not?" she asked innocently.

"Because with my insomnia, everyone is afraid I'll fall asleep behind the wheel."

"But you've been sleeping better, right? And you got quite a few hours last night, so wouldn't today be a day that driving would be safe?"

Smiling at the tiny bit of freedom she'd given me, I said, "You're right. I haven't felt this good in a while. Let's take the elevator to the basement and then we can drive to the café for breakfast."

The trip to the basement was thankfully uneventful, and soon I was pulling out of the basement garage in my Volvo, the shopping bags tucked into the truck until we needed them. I parked outside the café I'd wanted to take Bella to, walking around to open her door for her. She blushed again when I offered her my hand and I had to ask.

"What are you blushing about now?"

"I couldn't find a gentleman in my own time, but the person I stumble across in a time when gallantry is dead is the most chivalrous man I've ever known. I think that I would have trusted you even if I hadn't been hearing my great aunt's voice in my head."

I was honored by the complement, but her mention of men in her time and her great aunt had me wondering about something she'd mentioned in passing earlier. "I don't mean to be rude, Bella, but when we talked about what happened to bring you here, you mentioned that your father was trying to marry you off. But at 23, wouldn't you have already been married?"

Bella smiled sadly as she took her seat at the table by the window of the café. "My great aunt, the one who had told me about the lion that would save me, didn't have any children, but her late husband had left her quite comfortable after he died. My father stood to inherit a great deal if he kept her happy, so when she told him she wanted me to be a live-in companion, he agreed. But once she was gone and the money was his, he didn't want to have to house me anymore. That was when he did what he did."

The waitress came over and we placed our drink orders, asking for a minute to decide on breakfast. Bella and I talked about inconsequential things over breakfast, and soon we were on our way to the Market.

I took the bags out of the trunk and then guided Bella to the first shops and stands of our visit. I let her pick out some fruits and vegetables while I answered my phone.

"Hello?"

"Edward, it's Jasper. Jenks wants to know what information he should use for Bella's new identity. We didn't tell him her background, and he didn't ask, but he wants to start working on it now that Alice got me a picture he can use."

"Alice did the picture already?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah, one of the stores had a passport photo booth, so Alice got it at the mall yesterday."

I tapped Bella on the shoulder as she selected apples and covered the phone so Jasper wouldn't hear. "When is your birthday?"

"September thirteenth," she said and I nodded, doing the math in my head.

"Tell him to put her birthday as September 13, 1988."

"And her name?" Jasper asked.

"Isabella Swan," I told him, seeing a picture of the bird on a label on the table across from me, thinking about the purity and grace that radiated off of her. She was just like a swan, it was perfect.

"Okay, man. It'll probably be about a week or so, but once he's done she'll have a birth certificate, a social security card, and a driver's license. Everything will be legit thanks to his old contacts, so she won't have any problems."

"Thanks, Jasper. Let me know what the cost is and I'll have the cash for him."

"Will do," Jasper said before hanging up, leaving me to check on Bella.

"Is everything okay?" she asked when I walked back to her.

"Everything's fine, we just need to pass along some information." I handed the shop owner my credit card as we talked and Bella watched me pay for the purchases.

"I wish you didn't have to spend so much of your money on me," Bella whispered as we left the store.

"Hey, this food is for both of us, and as far as the money I'm spending…it's the only thing I have from my father, but if I can use it to help you get your start it'll feel like I'm doing something good with the money. Now, come on, we have a lot more to see here."

We walked all around Pike Place, getting a ton of fresh food and specialty items, but it was when Bella stopped for a moment to look at a pocketbook that sat on one of the stalls that I decided to spoil her a little more today.

"Do you like it?" I asked.

"It's pretty, and it looks like it would hold more than what Alice uses." Bella giggled to herself.

"You'll need a purse, pick out a wallet as well and we'll get them." I waved over the woman sitting behind the counter and she helped Bella pick out a wallet before I paid for the purchase and walked her back to the car.

"Do you still feel up for the supermarket?"

"I do, we got some good food at the market, but I noticed that a lot of what you had at home wasn't sold there." Bella commented.

"Yeah, I'm more of a pre-packaged guy. That's why it'll be nice to have you cook a few real meals," I joked as we drove the ten minutes to the store.

Shopping at Safeway was another comical experience. Bella kept asking what everything was and why I was getting it, showing me the list she'd created with Alice yesterday so she could cook things she knew. Alice had also explained oven temperatures to her, giving her a little chart to go by.

It was almost two in the afternoon by the time we got all of our purchases back to the apartment and Bella was all smiles about her work in the kitchen. She organized the food and put it away, calling me in when it was time for me to show her how to use the stove.

The oven dial was easy enough; set it to the temperature you needed and then wait until it heated up. But Bella's reaction to the stove burners and how they ignited was adorable. She played around with it for a few minutes before getting to work on her first dinner for us.

There was a lot of banging around in the kitchen, but Bella hadn't asked for my help so I left her alone to her work. Instead, I took my laptop out and attached my keyboard to it, opening my composition software so I could see what came to me. At first I opened my old piece, but it didn't seem right, so I opened a new document and began playing what I felt.

The emotion poured out of me as I sat there, not even turning up the volume so that I could hear it. I let the notes flow, filling the pages of sheet music on the screen until Bella's voice caught my attention.

"Edward, I'm sorry to bother you, but dinner's ready."

Joining her in the kitchen, I looked at the plates that were sitting on the small table. "This looks delicious."

"I wouldn't say that yet, I'm not sure my timing was right," Bella said as we sat down for our meal.

I cut into the chicken, which looked perfectly cooked, and took a bite, moaning at the flavor. "This is amazing. I'm a little shocked that you got it perfect your first time using the oven, but-"

"I cheated," she said with a chuckle. "Alice found me a book at the mall that explains how long and at what temperature to cook foods, so I looked up the chicken and knowing how thick it was it told me the time and the temperature."

"Still, this is great and you should be proud of yourself."

We spent the rest of the meal in comfortable silence and after another Disney movie, we went to bed together.

The next few weeks were pretty much the same. Bella and I went grocery shopping, we'd watch movies and hang out, and I'd get a few hours sleep beside her. I was in a bit of a dilemma, because even though I'd get restful sleep with Bella around, I wouldn't use my eye mask and ear plugs with her there. I needed to be alert for her if she needed me and those wouldn't help.

It was mid-April and I told her that I'd be spending the afternoon after class in the music lab using one of the upright pianos to work on my composition. The piece had come along well since I'd restarted it, the haunting beginning flowing into the joyous middle section, but much like my life, it remained unfinished.

**BPOV**

Though Edward told me he was feeling better, I could see in his eyes that he wasn't doing as well as he could be. His sleep was still not nearly long enough to sustain him and he was starting to get jumpy again, as though he was waiting for something to happen.

Alice had done some research after her curiosity won out and pulled up an old obituary from a newspaper dated a few weeks after the day I'd run. Though a body was never found, accounts from my father's crew said that I'd fallen and hit my head before landing in the water one evening after visiting my father to deliver his dinner. It had been too dark to properly search for me and the officials believed the body went out to sea.

It didn't surprise me that he'd had me written off so easily, and in fact, it made it easier to calm Alice's ideas that I might want to go back there someday. That article proved to her that I stayed dead in my time, so I was staying put in hers.

With Edward's late afternoon, I decided to take the journey to the supermarket on my own, after all it was a short enough walk for me and it was still a nice day.

The list was tucked into my pocketbook as I took the shopping bags and began my journey.

The purse Edward had bought me held a lot more than it used to. After Jasper's friend delivered my papers, Edward put the birth certificate and social security card away for me to keep safe, but the license was in my wallet next to the three new cards he'd given me.

Once I had identification, Edward brought me to open a bank account, saying something about building credit and a history, none of which I really understood. But when he told the woman at the bank that we were opening up an account, she took all of my information and I gave her the hundred dollars that Edward had given me that morning to open the account. Edward had also gotten me a credit card and told me that I should use it for my purchases and then we'd pay it off every month with my bank account. I didn't understand how it would work, but he kept telling me to trust him, so I did.

The last card was what Edward called an ORCA card, which was used for things like the bus he'd taken me home on that first night. I had only used it with him, but it was an option if I had to get around town.

My time in the supermarket was strangely calming. For all its harsh lights and bright colors, the noise and the familiarity of it was soothing, and soon I had the items I needed for the next few days. I paid for the purchases with my credit card, as Edward had said to, and then began my walk back to the apartment.

I used my key to the building and then rode the elevator up to our floor. As I approached the apartment, I heard Alice inside and noticed the front door was still slightly open. I was confused as to why they hadn't closed the door, but when I entered the sight before me terrified me.

Edward was crumpled up on the floor, shaking and as pale as I'd ever seen him. He was mumbling something, but Alice's frantic pleas drowned out what he was saying. The door slammed behind me as I dropped the bags and ran to Edward's side. I took his hand as I dropped to the floor and Alice turned her ire on me.

"Where were you?"

"I went to the supermarket to get a few things we were running low on," I explained not knowing what the commotion was about.

"She's gone…can't help…not safe…" Edward rambled and I realized what this was all about.

Taking his hand in mine, I pressed it into my cheek and then reached out to turn his face to me. "Edward, I'm right here. I'm safe, everything's okay."

"Bella?" he asked in a broken voice, his breath coming in shallow pants.

"It's me, Edward. Please try and calm down. Take a deep breath with me." I moved his other hand to my chest so he could try and match his breaths to mine. I watched as he slowly began to calm down and really see me.

"Bella," he whispered as his eyes closed. Settling into his side, I stayed there holding him for several more minutes, just watching him come back to me before I started to move from my spot beside him.

"I'm going to put away the groceries and then start on dinner if you want to relax for a while," I told him and he used the hand that was still cradling my cheek to pull me to him for a kiss.

I'd never kissed someone before, but in the moment that Edward's lips grazed mine, I understood what my great aunt had been saying. The world shifted beneath me and there was a new center to my life, and he was sitting on his living room floor broken because I'd gone out without him.

Never again.

Edward said something about taking a shower, so I stood to collect my groceries. I'd almost forgotten Alice was there until I found her putting the onions I'd bought back in one of the bags. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, but I was worried about Edward. He hasn't had an attack like that in a while, and I was so upset by it that I took it out on you, which was wrong of me."

Shaking my head, I grabbed Alice's hand. "Never apologize for the way you defend him. We're both blessed to have you to help us out and I take full responsibility for my part in his relapse."

"I'm going to leave you alone, but if either of you need anything, just call me and I'll come down." Alice handed me the bag of vegetables and let herself out.

I went to work in the kitchen, cutting up the various ingredients before I lit a small candle to help while I diced the onion. The tears that flowed while I started browning the meat and onions in the skillet had nothing to do with the onions, but had everything to do with the man who'd taken me into his home and captured my heart.

"Bella, why are you crying?" Edward's voice startled me.

"It's the onions," I told him as he crossed to me.

"This is more than onions," he challenged me and I collapsed into his arms. "Shh, Bella, it's okay."

"No, it isn't," I argued. "I literally brought you to your knees this afternoon with my stupid choices. I never want to be the cause of your illness, even though I'm too selfish to do the right thing and rid you of the burden I seem to be. I promise, Edward, that I will never leave this apartment without you or Alice and I will make sure that you're aware of what I'm doing."

"Bella, no," Edward said, backing away enough for him to be able to meet my eyes. "I was afraid for you, because I didn't know what happened, or if you were gone. You fell into my life and you could easily fall back out of it. But that doesn't mean that I want to keep you locked away in here so that you can't live your life."

Remembering the food that would soon be ruined if I didn't return to it, I walked back to the stove. "Edward, Alice found proof that I stay here, because the last mention of me is my mysterious death with no body recovered. So this is my new home, and I would enjoy having a little freedom, but not at your expense."

Edward rubbed my back as he thought over what I'd told him. "We'll get you a cell phone, that way I will be able to call you if you're not here, instead of freaking out. I'm actually proud of you for making it to the store and back without any problems."

"You're proud of me?" I asked, warmed by his encouraging words.

"Yes, you've come a long way in the last few weeks," he whispered against my hair before kissing the top of my head. I sighed in contentment, but it didn't go unnoticed. "What was that sigh?"

"I like it when you kiss me," I told him and his face lit up.

"Well then, I'll have to do it more often," Edward teased as he kissed me sweetly on the lips.

That night started a new chapter for us, where we were openly affectionate towards one another. Edward seemed to be doing better as he focused on work at the school and his composition. His friends came by and they were careful not to try and scare me, but I soon learned that Edward had been right; Jasper, Emmett, and Ben were all very nice and infinitely supportive of me.

Only Jasper knew the truth of how I got here, the others thinking that I'd been in an abusive relationship before and that was the explanation for my behavior when we first met.

True to his word, Edward got me a phone and taught me how to use it, and I did the shopping on my own now.

May began and Edward appeared hopeful about the summer. He told me that with school being over in a few weeks, we could enjoy our time together before he started work in the fall.

One Friday I was in the kitchen making dinner for Edward and me so it would be ready when he came home from student teaching later that night. He had taken on a few of the other sections from the man who was retiring, so he spent at least an hour at the school each day now.

Looking at the time on the oven, I had expected him home sooner than now, but it seemed that something had delayed him. I was getting to the point where I would have to cover the food and reheat it later when my phone rang.

Seeing as it was Alice, I answered it to hear her crying on the other end. "Alice, what's the matter?"

"Bella, you have to come to the university hospital, its Edward, he collapsed at the school."

Hanging up the phone, I turned off the stove, grabbed my purse and ran for the door, locking up before I took the stairs. As soon as I exited the building, I sprinted for the streets with heavier traffic so that I could hail a cab. I was lucky when one stopped as soon I as made it to the corner, telling him to take me to the hospital.

I paid the fare and ran inside; asking where I could find Edward and thankfully, the woman took pity on me and gave me a room number and directions on how to get there.

Edward had no visitors when I arrived, so I moved to sit by his bedside. A part of me longed to climb in beside him, but I knew that would be frowned upon so I settled for taking his hand in mine. I hadn't heard the door open, but the yelling that began when those entering the room saw me was deafening.

"Who are you?" a severe looking man with blonde hair and a white coat with the name Dr. Cullen stitched above the pocket asked.

"I'm Bella Swan," I told him.

"So you're his new girlfriend?" a blonde woman sneered at me. It seemed that those two of Edward's relatives had more in common than their hair color.

"Yes. Could someone please tell me what's happened to him?" I asked, looking at the older woman with kind eyes who I assumed was his aunt.

Dr. Cullen answered me with a clipped tone. "I'm sure you're aware of his anxiety disorder and depression, not to mention his insomnia. Well it seems he has been fighting a particularly difficult bout without many of his normal aids, which led to his collapse this afternoon. I had him sedated until he has-"

"Sedated?" I asked. "He hates being medicated. Why would you do that to him?"

"Don't you dare question how I look after my nephew? Just because he's told you of his childish notions about his treatment, doesn't mean-"

I cut him off again because it was obvious he didn't get it. "Edward's mother was an addict. He's terrified of becoming dependent on medications and he had been doing better. I don't know what caused this to grow so far out of control, but we can get him back to where he had been."

"You've known Edward a few weeks, you have no clue what this will take," his uncle bellowed.

"I'm the one who's been beside him through it all, he had been doing much worse and until the last few weeks. I had thought he was back to normal for the most part. It seems that he hadn't been sleeping as much as I thought. But I will make sure he is taking better care of himself when he goes home."

"The only person going home is you," his uncle said. "We will take care of my nephew and I'd appreciate it if you didn't come around here again."

"Carlisle," the kinder looking woman spoke but was instantly cut off.

"Esme, not now," he said, confirming for me that she was his aunt.

"I'm going to go because I know that our fighting won't help Edward, but this doesn't mean that you've run me off." Leaning over Edward, I kissed his forehead and whispered, "I love you, Edward, and I will see you soon."

I brushed past Edward's family, meeting Alice and Emmett in the hallway. "Did you find him, Bella?"

"I did, Alice, but your father threw me out after I yelled at him for sedating Edward," I told them both.

"You yelled at Carlisle?" Emmett asked in amazement. "Okay, that has to be celebrated when Edward wakes up, because he will be damn proud of you for standing up for him like that."

"I hope he is, Edward is the only person to ever tell me they were proud of me," I said.

Emmett wrapped an arm around me and began leading me back towards the elevators. "I'll take you home, Bella. Alice can give us an update tomorrow morning."

I looked back one more time to see the Alice talking to the two women who had been in the room with Carlisle and I, before letting the elevator doors block out their discussion.

I followed Emmett out to his car and we sat in silence as he drove me back to the building. I told Emmett that he didn't have to walk me up, and after putting away the food I'd been cooking I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed. Hugging Edward's pillow to me was the only comfort I found as I cried myself to sleep.

The sleep I found was not restful, and by six a.m. I decided to give up and work around the apartment. Edward's uncle may not want me around his nephew, but I would make sure his home was ready for him when he returned.

It took three hours, but I'd cleaned everything there was that hadn't already been spotless, leaving me with nothing to occupy my thoughts. I was debating whether or not I should begin Edward's laundry when the front door opened and his aunt walked in.

"Can I help you?" I asked, a little surprised to see her here.

"I came to get a few things for Edward, so he has them when he wakes up. What are you doing here?"

"I live here," I told her.

His aunt paled a little and then the color rushed to her cheeks as she gestured towards the couch. "I think we got off on the wrong foot. Maybe we should start over."

Joining her on the sofa, I waited for her to begin.

"It's been just under two months since I last saw Edward, and he made no mention of you that night, so I'm a little thrown off to find you here."

Taking a deep breath, I started to tell her the story that Jasper and Edward created for me when I needed to explain my past. "I grew up in a very rural, remote area. I was home schooled and kept secluded as much as possible by my father. He wasn't abusive physically, but he was very controlling and condescending. I don't like to talk about it much, but I want you to understand how I came into Edward and Alice's lives.

"I ran away and came to Seattle, only to literally bump into your nephew one evening by the arboretum. I was so afraid, but he was able to settle me down and brought me to meet Alice. I told them about my past and they offered to help me get settled, but I have a lot of work to do before I would be able to take care of myself. I don't have a diploma and I have limited skills, so I've been cooking and cleaning to pay Edward back for all of his help."

"When exactly did you fall in love with him?" she asked.

"I started falling in love with him from the moment he helped me up that first night, but a few weeks ago when he had an attack and I saw him vulnerable like that…it made me realize how deeply I feel for him. I do love him, Mrs. -"

"Esme, dear, and we'll see what we can do to help you." She stood up and looked around. "I'm going to go pack him a bag, why don't you get washed up so we'll make it there when visiting hours begin."

"But your husband…?"

"Carlisle means well, and he never planned to keep Edward sedated like he did last time, but your little outburst last night fell very much in line with how I was feeling. Carlisle still sees him as the broken little eight year-old boy who came into our home and was as much a son to us as we could ever want. But he's a man now and it's time we get him the help he wants and watch him learn to live with his illness, instead of letting it rule him." Esme smiled at me and I nodded, leaving her alone to shower and change into the outfit I'd laid out while I was picking up.

Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in Esme's car as we drove to the hospital. About halfway there, Esme asked, "Do you know how to drive?"

Thankful that they'd gotten me a state ID instead of license, I shook my head. "No, don't know that I would have too many opportunities without a car-"

"I'll teach you," Esme offered. "I will give you this piece of advice; having your boyfriend teach you how to drive is never a good idea. It leads to way too much fighting. Also, we'll have to get you the information on getting your GED, and-"

"Esme, I'm happy that you're being so accepting, but this is a little fast for me. As much as I would love to not have to rely on Edward's kindness and flat out refusals to allow me to one day repay his kindness, I'm not ready for it all. Where I lived was very minimalistic. There weren't many modern conveniences, and most of them were off limits to me." I took a deep breath, hoping Esme would understand, and from the gentle brush of her hand on mine as she pulled into a parking spot, I knew she did.

"All right, dear. I'll let you and Edward move at a pace that's comfortable for you. But I'd also like you to contact me if there's ever a need." Esme's watery smile tugged at my heart, so I leaned over to hug her across the center console.

"I will, Esme, thank you."

We walked into the hospital and returned to Edward's room to see Carlisle and the blonde standing there having a heated discussion.

"Oh look, if it isn't the little gold-digger," his cousin sneered.

"Rosalie, that is quite enough. Why don't you go home and get ready for work? The last thing Edward needs around him is negativity." Esme pulled me a little closer into her side as she spoke.

"I need to make a call to Jason," Carlisle said, but Alice cut him off from the doorway.

"Jenks already knows all about Bella, Daddy. Jasper had him run a check on her when we first met her and she's everything she said."

"You mean that you and Edward had her checked out?" Esme asked.

"Of course," Alice smiled at me. "Edward is very careful of who he lets into his life since he's about to come into full control of his inheritance in a little over a month, and I'm very protective of him. Bella isn't going to hurt us. In fact, she's done a great deal to help him."

"You keep saying that he's been doing so well and yet here he is back in the hospital." Carlisle was now focused on Alice, who was still talking, so I moved to Edward's bedside and began to brush the hair from his eyes. He looked so peaceful while he slept, and I'd give anything to ensure it lasted a little longer.

"While he's doing better, he's still not getting a full night's sleep and the stress of graduation and finally entering the real world has been getting to him. Yesterday was his final day of student teaching because the principal and the teacher he's replacing in the fall have to write his final evaluations, so he's feeling the pressure. His education class work is completed, his composition for his thesis is nearly done, he's coming into more money than any twenty-five year old could ever hope to spend…wouldn't you crack under all of that?"

"I wasn't aware that he'd already secured a position at the Bush School," Carlisle answered.

"They're thrilled to have him joining the staff, Dad," Alice said, but the conversation began to fade into the background as I saw Edward's eyes flutter open.

His opened and looked around wildly as the beeping in the room sped up. Knowing he was quickly becoming upset, I leaned into his field of vision and grasped his hand. "Edward, it's all right. I need you to keep calm for me, okay?"

"Bella?" he asked. "What am I…?"

"You were rushed to the hospital yesterday evening and your uncle had you admitted for observation. They had to sedate you briefly so you could recuperate overnight, but you're awake now, which is so wonderful."

"Oh, God, I collapsed at the school," he groaned, his breathing growing fast again.

"No one will think less of you for being ill. They don't know the specifics of it and I'm sure all they're worried about is your well being. You can call and check in with them in a day or so once you're feeling better."

"At least I was able to complete the recording of my composition before this happened. I don't' have finals in my classes, so I just have to email the last assignment in to my Education teacher and I'll be ready to graduate." Edward sighed as he sank back into the pillow.

"Good, then we can focus on getting you better. Your graduation ceremony is in a few weeks and I want to see you smiling when you walk across that stage."

"Edward," Carlisle said behind me and I felt him stiffen beside me. "I'm going to speak to one of my colleagues and get you an appointment. Maybe talking to a professional will help you get through the problems you've been dealing with. From what Alice tells me you've been making marginal progress on your own."

"I have," Edward told him, "with some help."

I looked at him as he squeezed my hand and smiled. "And I'm going to be right there with you the entire time, Edward."

Though still annoyed at my presence, Carlisle left to make the call he'd promised Edward. Before Edward was discharged from the hospital, a man walked in to speak with him. I used the time that Edward spent with the doctor talking to Alice to make sure that Edward really was covered as far as his schooling went. She promised me that finals week was starting in the middle of next week so he truly was done.

It was late in the afternoon when Edward was finally released from the hospital, and after he changed into the outfit Esme had collected for him, Alice and I drove him home.

"It's good to be back in my own place again," Edward said as he walked into the living room.

"Well you just rest there and I'll make us something for dinner."

"Bella, I can help you," he started, but I ended his attempt to move.

"No, you're going to relax. I promised Esme when her and I talked this morning that I would take care of you and I meant it," I told him.

"How much does Esme know?" he asked.

"What you and Jasper told me to say when I was forced to. Alice also told your family that you and her had Jenks look into my past and that he said I was what I claimed to be, so Carlisle doesn't think I'm digging for gold."

"Carlisle called you a gold-digger?" Edward said, clearly upset.

"No, Rosalie did, actually."

"I'm sorry they gave you a rough time," Edward apologized for them.

"It'll get a lot worse until people realize I'm with you because I love you."

"You love me?" he asked and I froze, realizing I'd just said that out loud so he could hear me for the first time.

"I do. You're the only person to ever make me feel important, and you've worked so hard to make sure that I feel safe and taken care of. Please let me do the same for you now?"

Edward motioned for me to come closer and as I sat beside him he pulled me to his side. "You make me so happy, Bella, and one day soon I'm going to show you just what that means to me. I love you."

His lips were slow and soft against mine, but the rumble of his stomach had me standing up. "First dinner, then macking out."

"Making out, Sweetheart," he corrected me as I went to finish cooking what I'd started making the day before.

The first few days after Edward's trip to the hospital were relatively easy. He was home all the time, so I made him rest as often as possible. He was doing his therapy sessions with Dr. Denali twice a week and though they'd just begun, he said that talking about it helped.

In the time we spent together, Edward and I were doing a fair deal of not talking. Since our declaration in the living room, his kisses were more insistent and his touches were bolder. I couldn't adequately describe what I was feeling, but I loved what he did to me.

Alice had just finished her own finals, she would be receiving her undergraduate degree on the same day that Edward received his masters, and now we were looking forward to the summer ahead of us.

We were sitting around discussing his birthday just a week before his graduation ceremony when I noticed a change in Edward. The look in his eyes was so intense, and when we turned off the TV for the night and moved into his bedroom I discovered why.

While I enjoyed his touch, I felt our physical relationship escalating past a point that I was comfortable with.

"Edward, stop," I said.

Edward looked down at me, confused by my tone, no doubt. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to be intimate with you like that. In my time, that's something that's reserved for man and wife. I'm not saying no," I assured him, "I'm just saying not yet."

His lips turned up into a smile, "Does that mean you've thought about marrying me?"

"Edward, I will be twenty-four in September. I'm not getting any younger and if I'm in a relationship, it's because I see the potential for marriage down the line. People didn't date for sport in my time," I teased him.

"It may be sooner than you think," he teased me back.

Alice had bought me a few dresses when we had gone shopping; so on the day of their graduation, I chose the red dress with floral vine pattern and a gathered waist. Alice had said it was very Tuscan looking, but I had no idea what that meant. I paired it with a simple pair of low heels and took extra time with my hair, as it was a special occasion.

Alice's graduation was first, so Edward and I drove together, his smile radiating through him. "You seem to be doing well today."

He turned to look at me at my statement and his smile grew. "I am. Dr. Denali is helping me to understand that I'm not my parents and that I have a good life. My job is secure, I've got a woman who I love and loves me back, and all the paperwork is complete, so my trust fund is transitioning so that I will have full control of it by my birthday. Which is good, because I have a surprise for you."

"Edward, I don't like surprises," I told him.

"You'll like this one, I promise," he said, kissing my knuckles before he turned his attention back to the street light that was about to change.

As I'd been warned, Alice's graduation was long and arduous, and I had a feeling that Edward's would be as well. I sat between Edward and Esme for the entirety of the ceremony, and when it was done we moved to find Alice so that we could travel to another location on campus for Edward's ceremony.

Alice took the seat beside me as I made it through another graduation. When Edward walked across the stage I cheered for him along with his family, and when it was over he rushed to me, twirling me in the air before embracing his family.

Carlisle had made dinner reservations, but we had a few hours before then, so Edward asked me to come with him to see something. After a quick goodbye to his family, Edward and I drove to a house that was near the water. I was confused when he parked in front of the house and opened my door, leading me up the front walkway.

"Edward, what are we doing here?"

"I found this house last week, and I wanted to show it to you. Come inside and look around with me?"

Nodding, I allowed Edward to escort me around the gorgeous house. As he explained it had four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, evidently meaning that the bathroom downstairs only had a toilet and a sink in it, and it was built about ten years ago. I fell just the tiniest bit in love with it, but I had no idea why we were here and I told him as much.

"You really love it?" he asked.

"I do, it's a beautiful home," I told him.

"Well I'm glad because it's ours if you want it to be."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," I told him truthfully.

"You told me that you being in this relationship meant that you saw it going towards marriage someday, well, I hope that we can start that journey today." Edward dropped down to one knee in the middle of the empty living room and pulled a small box out of his pocket. "Bella, you've brought more joy to my life than I ever thought possible, and when it feels as right as we do together, I have to grab a hold of it. Will you marry me?"


End file.
